


Assignment

by ixieko



Series: The Ancient story [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ixieko/pseuds/ixieko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thirty years after the meeting, out of those mentioned in the memorandum only Hojo still stayed with Shin-Ra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Assignment

"No, Gast, absolutely - no!"  
Professor Faremis tilted his head and looked at dr. Simmons questioningly over his glasses. She looked at him defiantly with her pale blue eyes, her lips pressed in tight line.  
"These two are my top researchers for the upcoming BioWare project, and you just want to reassign both?" She continued, pointing an accusing finger at him, "Well, then don't expect any results from my group in the next year, at the very least!"  
"Sarah," Gast said, "You are exaggerating. Hojo and Hollander are of the best, yes, I wouldn't pick them otherwise. But, certainly, you have others in your division."  
Dr. Sarah Simmons, the Director of Biomedical Research Division and the head of Mako Enhancements project, sighed and pushed the papers away. The sun barely climbed over the treetops, its rays peeking through the window into the conference room on the second floor of BioMed labs, colouring her grey hair bright yellow, brighter that it was in times of her youth, and causing her to squint.  
"You may take Hollander," She said, leaning forward, "But, please, leave Hojo on my project. I need him. He is the most qualified for it now. Of course," She held up her hand, stopping Gast's upcoming argument, "There are others, but the only one who is comparable to Simon is Jane Morris, and she is still a student, third year. So, Gast, if you want any outcome from my group in foreseeable future, leave at least one of them, preferably Hojo."

Professor Raimund Gaeb, who had been silently reading through the personnel files, voiced his own doubts. "I think," He said, "That you should listen to Sarah and leave Hojo out of the Jenova Project."  
"And what are your reasons?" Professor Faremis asked tiredly.  
"For Gaia's sake, he's of Wutaian descent!" Gaeb exclaimed. "We shouldn't let him anywhere near the top-secret projects, Gast! I wonder, how he even got the clearance for the current one!"  
Gast sighed, rubbing his forehead.  
"Administrative Research checked his background very thoroughly before approving him," He said. "And re-checked again when I suggested him for Jenova Project group. Despite his Wutaian descent, he currently does not have any ties with the country or any of its citizens, and didn't have since he left his hometown."  
"No family, no friends?"  
"Exactly."  
"Unbelievable," Raimund muttered. "Wutaian with no ties? They must have overlooked something."  
"What's with the sudden nationalism?" Sarah asked, frowning at him. "I don't remember you paying so much attention to anyone's nationality before."  
For several seconds they stared at each other. Then, Gaeb sighed, looking away.  
"Fine, fine," He said. "It's not only his nationality that is bothering me, but his whole character. He is undisciplined, overconfident, careless and single-minded, and together his flaws outweigh his positive features. Didn't you, Sarah, just tell me about his latest escapade, when he changed treatment without consulting with you and obtaining volunteer's consent beforehand?"  
"Ah," Dr. Simmons said. "That one. It almost ended in subject's death, if I wouldn't check his progress in time. But," She continued, looking at Gast, "Despite his, uh, lack of caution and ignoring of proper procedures, under strict enough supervision he will do better than anyone."  
Gaeb nodded. "Exactly, Sarah. And as we all well know, you, Gast, don't do strict supervision. You'll look over his work for a month or two, and then you'll leave him to his own devices, and who knows what disaster will it bring."  
"I will take note of your comment." Professor Faremis said impatiently. "Sarah," He continued, turning to the woman, "I need both Hojo and Hollander on my team. This is final."  
Dr. Simmons nodded, accepting her defeat. Professor Gaeb looked to the window, biting his tongue to hold off further comments.

"What about your candidates, Raimund?" Gast asked. "Any objections to Crescent and Nyx?"  
"None," He answered, putting Hojo's file aside, "Although I don't understand why would you pick Crescent. She is one of our top experts in Mako and Materia, but nowhere near as good a biologist as Peterson or Riley. And she is known for her obsessions with obviously false ideas."  
"Are you referring to Valentine's Chaos and Omega theory?" Professor Faremis asked. "Grimoire seemed to be quite sure about his findings."  
"It was pure nonsense through and through." Gaeb said. "A theory based on fairy tales!.."  
Professor Faremis coughed. "Raimund... you should not... dismiss any source of information that easily. These, as you put it, `fairy tales` helped me greatly in discovering of Jenova."  
Professor Gaeb fell silent, suddenly interested in half-erased notes on the chalkboard.  
Gast looked at both Directors.  
"Well, it is decided, then. Hojo, Hollander, Crescent and Nyx will be reassigned to the Jenova Project group."

...

[ ](http://40.media.tumblr.com/6fa5e45bf7e8186ca98282cc367b3c87/tumblr_nizmvb1vSp1s8fd1vo1_1280.jpg)

...

At 2:15 p.m. Ifalna went to lunch. She took the stairs down to the first floor of Natural Environment Research labs, to the hall, where she was supposed to meet with Lucrecia. She looked the place over, but her friend was not there. It wasn't a surprise, though, because Ifalna was fifteen minutes late their usual time, delayed by unexpected results of analysis of species from around Mako reactor. It seemed that the pollution was causing very interesting mutations in local wildlife.  
She went out of the building, still deep in thought, and just turned left to the sidewalk that led to apartment building and cafeteria, when someone assaulted her with a hug.  
"Iffie!"  
It was Lucy, and she looked unusually cheerful.  
"We're approved to the Jenova Project!" Lucrecia exclaimed, releasing Ifalna.  
"Hm..." Ifalna frowned, trying to remember what exactly the Jenova Project was. "Ah, the new project of Professor Faremis!"  
They both applied to the project, although Ifalna wouldn't be too disappointed if she wasn't accepted to the team. Lucrecia, on the other hand, was in desperate need of something good. Since the death of Dr. Valentine earlier that year, she didn't get to do anything interesting. All her proposals were turned down, all her theories were laughed at, and her work was scrutinized more than anyone else's. She was criticized for mistakes that would go unnoticed in any other work. "It's like Professor Gaeb hates me," Lucrecia confessed once, "And I can't even blame him. Dr. Valentine was his friend, you know, and..." "And it wasn't your fault," Ifalna countered. "It was an accident, and Gaeb shouldn't treat you worse because of it."  
  
"Heeey! Are you listening?"  
Ifalna shrugged the memories off and smiled. "Sorry. What were you talking about?"  
"I said, guess who else was approved?" Lucrecia asked, smiling dreamily.  
After a brief calculation, Ifalna answered, "Hojo?"  
"Yes! Finally, I'll have a chance to work with him!"  
"Oh, I bet it would be as pleasant as working with a porcupine," Ifalna teased. Lucrecia rolled her eyes.

They found an empty outdoor table at the cafeteria and just sat down, when they were joined by Hollander, who unceremoniously flopped down at their table and greeted them with, "Hello, dear colleagues!"  
"What, he, too?" Ifalna groaned.  
Lucrecia nodded, "Yes."  
Ifalna sighed. The next couple of years were going to be _very_ interesting.

...

Bidding farewell to Professor Faremis when he was leaving for Junon Harbour with his new group, Raimund Gaeb said, "Take care, Gast, and look at Hojo closely. I don't believe he is as trustworthy as you may think."  
Faremis chuckled. "You are too suspicious, Raimund." He said.  
"And you are too trusting, Gast," Gaeb muttered.  
Faremis shook his head and climbed inside the car. A couple of minutes later, it went out of the University grounds and out of sight.

Professor Gaeb stayed on his spot for some time, thinking about changes the Company was undergoing in last couple of years. He didn't like what was happening. Gast could be a naive fool, despite all his intelligence, but Raimund knew better. Tearing his gaze from the spot where the car disappeared behind the trees, he turned and went to the apartment building, thinking about those few people whom he really trusted. He had to make some preparations in case things would go out of hand. Just in case.

...

The first to go, two a half years later, was Doctor Lucrecia Crescent. She was listed as dead, the cause of death being complications during childbirth.  
The next was Professor Gast Faremis, accused of stealing Company's property and killed while resisting arrest.  
Raimund Gaeb quietly dropped off the radar in late 80th, and was never found.  
Approximately five years later, Ifalna Nyx was found dead in Midgar slums after escaping from detention.  
Doctor Sarah Simmons openly opposed Professor Hojo on the issue of using non-volunteers in human experiments, and lost her post as a result. She left Shin-Ra in 1995, joined one of the anti-Shin-Ra terrorist groups and was reported as killed in firefight. Her body was not identified.  
Doctor Nils Hollander was reported killed in the line of duty in 2002, although there were rumours that he left Shin-Ra alongside with ex-Director of SOLDIER, Lazard Deusericus.

Thirty years after the meeting, out of those mentioned in the memorandum only Hojo still stayed with Shin-Ra.

...

The sky was as sickly green and gloomy as it usually was in Midgar in December. Professor Hojo drove out of the parking lot and through the checkpoint to the street. As always, his comings and goings raised no questions. The steel bulk of Shin-Ra main building was hovering behind him, but he paid it no attention. The Company played its part in his plans, but now his long work was almost done, and he had time to rest. _Maybe_ , he thought with a smile, _relax somewhere_ , - he squinted at the overcast sky and first droplets of rain, - _where the weather was warm and sunny_.  
His research, started so long ago, was entering its final stages. Soon, he will finally see if he was correct in his predictions.

His letter of resignation was left on his desk, no more important in the face of upcoming events than a candy wrapper.


End file.
